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Michael Winslow
Michael Winslow 2008 (cropped and levels adjusted).jpg
Winslow in 2008
Birth name Michael Leslie Winslow
Born (1958-09-06) September 6, 1958 (age 66)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Medium Stand-up, film, television, radio, voice-over
Nationality American
Years active 1980–present
Genres Beatboxing, character comedy, physical comedy, improvisational comedy
Subject(s) Pop culture, American culture
Spouse
Belinda Church
(m. 1985; died 1993)
Angela Baytops
(m. 1997; div. 2001)
Sharon Winslow
(m. 2003; div. 2014)
Children 2
Notable works and roles Comedy Sound Smackdown
Larvell Jones in Police Academy
Radar Technician in Spaceballs

Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is a super talented American actor and comedian. He's famous for making amazing sounds with just his voice! People call him The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects because he can create so many realistic noises. You might know him as Larvell Jones from the Police Academy movies. He also appeared in Spaceballs and many other films and TV shows.

Early Life and Sound Skills

Michael Winslow was born in Spokane, Washington, in 1958. He grew up near an air force base. When he was a kid, Michael didn't have many friends. To keep busy, he would practice making sounds. He could copy engines, animals, and all sorts of noises!

This special talent helped him earn money performing in clubs. Eventually, he moved to Hollywood. There, he shared his amazing sound skills with more people. He even went to the Lisa Maile School to learn more about acting.

Michael's Amazing Career

Michael first showed off his talents on a TV show called The Gong Show. He impressed everyone by making sounds like the movie dog Benji. He also imitated sounds from Star Trek and even a Jimi Hendrix song.

Starring in Police Academy

Michael is best known for playing Larvell Jones in the Police Academy movies. He was chosen for the role after someone saw him perform before a Count Basie concert. He appeared in all seven Police Academy films. He also starred in the Police Academy: The Series TV show.

Beyond Police Academy

In 1985, Michael released a song called "I Am My Own Walkman." It was a hit in Australia! In 1986, he even presented an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing. He played Spencer on the TV show The Love Boat that same year.

Michael also appeared in the movie Spaceballs in 1987. He played a radar operator. In one scene, he made all the sound effects himself! The director, Mel Brooks, said Michael saved the movie money by doing this.

Modern Appearances and Apps

Michael continues to perform stand-up comedy around the world. He also hosted a TV series called Way Back Wednesday with Winslow. This show featured movies from the 1980s.

In 2010, Michael launched his own iPhone and iPod Touch apps. One app, ThatsKungFu, made kung fu fighting sounds when you moved your device. Another app, NoizeyMan, had videos, ringtones, and games made by Michael.

He also provided all the sound effects for a mobile game called Wizard Ops Chapter 1. Later, he worked on its follow-up, Wizard Ops Tactics. You might have seen him in a commercial for GEICO Insurance too.

In 2020, Michael was a guest star on the show Game Changer. He won an episode in 2021! The same year, he auditioned for America's Got Talent. He showed viewers how he makes his famous noises.

In 2022, Michael was featured in a popular YouTube video called "Video Game Sound." This video introduced his amazing work to many video game fans.

Film and Television Roles

Michael Winslow has been in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Year Title Role
1980 Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Welfare Comedian
1981 Underground Aces Nate
1981 Nice Dreams Superman Nut
1981 Space Stars Plutem (voice)
1982 Tag: The Assassination Game Gowdy
1982 Heidi's Song Mountain (voice)
1984 Police Academy Cadet Larvell Jones
1984 Alphabet City Lippy
1984 Gremlins Mogwai / Gremlins (voice)
1984 Grandview, U.S.A. Spencer
1985 Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment Officer Larvell Jones
1985 Starchaser: The Legend of Orin Voice
1986 Police Academy 3: Back in Training Sgt. Larvell Jones
1987 Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol Sgt. Larvell Jones
1987 Spaceballs Radar Technician
1987 Three Crazy Jerks [de] Walker
1988 Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach Sgt. Larvell Jones
1988 Starke Zeiten Mike
1988 Buy & Cell Sly
1988 Three Crazy Jerks II [de] Ronny
1989 Police Academy 6: City Under Siege Sgt. Larvell Jones
1989 Think Big Hap
1990 New Kids on the Block Voice
1990 Far Out Man Airport Cop
1990 Going Under Reporter
1993 Extralarge Dumas
1994 Police Academy: Mission to Moscow Sgt. Larvell Jones
1995 Be Cool about Fire Safety
1997-1998 Police Academy: The Series Sgt. Larvell Jones
1999 Lycanthrope Lee Davis
1999 Michael Winslow Live Himself
1999 The Blur of Insanity Horner's Friend 2
2000 He Outta Be Committed Jeremy
2001 The Trumpet of the Swan Chief (voice)
2002 The Biggest Fan Officer Man
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Pedestrian (voice)
2005 Lenny the Wonder Dog John Wyndham
2006 Robot Chicken Sgt. Larvell Jones
2008 The Great Buck Howard Himself
2008 Redirecting Eddie Vaughn
2009 RoboDoc Dr. Murphy
2010 The History of the Typewriter recited by Michael Winslow Himself
2010 Tosh.0 Himself
2013 Blunt Movie Coach Al Jefferson
2013 Gingerclown Stomachcrumble
2013 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Himself
2015 Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! Brian Jonesy Jones
2015 Lavalantula Marty
2016 Enter the Fist and the Golden Fleece The Argonaut
2016 Characterz Police Detective
2016 2 Lava 2 Lantula Marty
2015 The Jack and Triumph Show Himself
2016 Renaissance Man Mike
2016 Hospital Arrest Judge Collaway
2017 Killing Hasselhoff Himself
2020 Game Changer Himself
2020 A Wrestling Christmas Miracle Judge Collaway
2021 America's Got Talent (Season 16) Himself
2021 Todd Jake
2022 Video Game Sound Himself

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Michael Winslow para niños

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